Focus on Identity

Identity is a funny thing. Most of the time we don't think about it. We simply wear the labels we've gathered over the years – professional, athlete, parent, friend. Then life changes. Sometimes gradually, sometimes overnight. Suddenly the roles that once felt so certain no longer fit in quite the same way.

My Focus on WHY podcast guest this week, Natalie Hurdley, knows exactly what that feels like. Her story is one of strength in every sense of the word. A strengths coach, athlete, business owner and wife, her identity had long been rooted in the fitness world. She represented Team GB, built a successful business and helped overwhelmed women discover their own strength. Then she became a mother and everything shifted.

The routines that had shaped her days no longer worked. The strategies she'd relied upon no longer served her in the same way. Confidence gave way to uncertainty, and she found herself asking questions she had never needed to ask before.

It would have been easy to cling to the version of herself she already knew. Instead, Natalie chose something far more courageous. She allowed herself the space to explore who she was becoming. She discovered that motherhood didn't replace the athlete or the business owner, it simply became another important part of who she is. Through honest reflection and the support of other women navigating similar transitions, she began to build an identity that felt authentic rather than expected.

What I loved most about our conversation is Natalie’s willingness to see identity as dynamic—a living thing that grows alongside you, demanding both kindness and courage. The message is clear: our worth isn't tied solely to any one role or accomplishment. It lies in the way we keep choosing to show up, learn, adapt and, above all, to be honest with ourselves about what fits and what no longer does. It's something that evolves as we do.

Life's transitions invite us to pause and take stock. They ask us to let go of versions of ourselves that have served their purpose and make room for something new. Whether that's a different pace, a fresh opportunity or a renewed sense of purpose, change has a way of revealing who we really are beneath the labels.

Focus on Identity. Focus on Why.

REFLECTION WITH ACTION: In what ways is your identity quietly asking to be updated – and how might you begin to honour that change today?